Marie Stopes Society (MSS) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Shell Pakistan to jointly work on "Shell HIV/AIDS Workplace Intervention Programme."
Under this programme, which would be known as "Awareness for Life," awareness and education about AIDs and its prevention would be provided at Shell installations through a network of voluntary counselling and testing centers.
Zaiviji Ismail bin Abdullah, Managing Director & Chairman of Shell Companies in Pakistan and Dr Mohsina Bilgrami, CEO of Marie Stopes Society signed the MoU at Shell Pakistan head office.
Zaiviji Ismail said that the project sought to create awareness about HIV/AIDS and the facts and fiction of HIV transmission. He said that HIV/AIDS was causing untold human suffering in the country and was also reversing decades of development progress.
Shell Pakistan's partnership with Marie Stopes Society was a pioneering effort in countering the spread of the disease through focus on preventive measures, he added.
Under the MoU, both organisations agreed to work together on a pilot project for the period of one year. MSS would work towards creating awareness and removing the misconceptions about AIDS.
The target groups of 'Awareness for Life' include youth and general adult population between 15 and 45 years of age, with special focus on patients living with AIDS, and their families and peers.